Some good comments on Oscar, but as usual, a few negatives. This post sums up the extravaganza:
"Re: the "Great Unwashed", they were Victorians as well, you know? They were people who lived during the reign of Queen Victoria. Ergo, they have as much of a right to be represented in any attempt to portray the history of that time, alongside the usual lot with bonnetts, top-hats, pocket watches and waistcoats. Sartoriolly admirable as the upper classes may have been at the time, they weren't the be-all and end-all!
Regarding everything with the 'Ganza itself, the poor organisers (much like many groups organising things in the N. Wales area) are in the wonderful position of "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't". The big, more modern rides, such as the waltzers, whirlers, ghost trains, madly spinning gyroscopes and others are of course popular with young people and bring in footfall. The hook-a-duck stalls, hooplah, coconut shies follow in their wake. Now many think of these as being nothing more than glorified, gypsy-run (Apologies for being a tad unPC!!) dross, with flashing bulbs and pop music designed to wow people. I don't buy into that, they fill a much-needed gap, and are perefectly acceptable in a fairground setting.
The rides like helter skelters and carousels, which are seen to embody the Victorian asthetic, add in the aura of the times, not to mention the pipe organs, steamrollers and Victorian parades, with people in all the get-up aforementioned get up. But the simple fact of the matter is you're not going to attract thousands of people to have a look at a nice organ (har har!)or some people in 19th century dress, however nice and well-intentioned the volunteers may be. You will of course get enthusiasts and that's fine, but to bring in the massive amounts of tourists, you need a modern day fairground, as such, the Extravaganza has to be both.
The bugbear, as has been mentioned, is how much people ought to contribute to it, and the varying degress to which they do. Shops can counter that far from being an encouragement to footfall, the Extravaganza actually blocks up either side of Mostyn Street, confining people to the road where the rides are located, and actually hamper their efforts. I worked in town once during the Extravaganza, and we saw a drop in custom due to the sheer "blockage" caused by the crowd. Moreover, it took me half an hour to nip down the road for a sandwich!
A great comparison to the extravaganza is the pier - Victorian setting and ethos but with modern rides, arcades and shops; plenty of people visiting; plenty of shops paying rates. And big attraction to the town as well.
So - in summation; Victorian or not? Arguments to be made either way. And is it an ill-funded major tourist event which brings thousands to the town and thereby ought to receive cash from traders? Or is it a massive, annual multi-way b****r up for traffic, which stops shoppers from coming in to the town, and doesn't encourage visitors to spend their own money in the shops, thereby rendering it unworthy of contribution from businesses? "
